Means for and process of handling and displaying food products



Jan. 7; 1936.

E. A. WEISEL MEANS FOR AND PROCESS OF HANDLING AND DISPLAYING FOOD PRODUCTS Filed NOV. 13, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIII'IIIIIII INVE TOR. MWM/ BY 3/5 ATTORNEY iii 7% Jan. 7, 1936. E. ANWEISEL 2,026,764

MEANS FOR AND PROCESS OF HANDLING AND DISPLAYING FOOD PRODUCTS Filed Nov. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f A F/G. 5

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ATTORN EY Patented Jan. 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR AND PROCESS OF HANDLING AND DISPLAYING FOOD PRODUCTS Edward A. Weisel, Newark, N. Application November 13, 1934, Serial No. 752,819

18 Claims.

This invention relates to means for and the process of handling and displaying food products, and to illustrate the application of the present invention, it may be said that food products such as pretzels are packed and shipped in metal containers which are returned to the manufacturer of the said pretzels for use in additional shipments, until the containers get battered up and injured so that they are unfit for further use. However, it many times happens that the stores to which these containers are shipped do not always immediately return these metal containers, and in some cases never return them, but use them for various purposes, even as waste cans, and if and when they are returned to the manufacturer after such use by the storekeeper, considerable labor is involved in cleaning them for another shipment of food products.

My invention is directed to an improved type zoi of container and has, for one of its objects a construction in which the container per se is of a very cheap material which can, after its use by the store-keeper, be thrown 'away, thereby always insuring a new and clean container for got the food products. These containers are provided with a top and bottom closure means or a similar cap, and when the container is filled with food products, the caps are locked securely in position.

so: When the containers are received at the store,

' the lock on the top cap is broken and the cap re- .moved so that the contents of the container may be removed if desired. After the container is completely emptied of its contents, then the hot- 35' tom cap is removed from the container which can be thrown away and only the two caps, which are preferably made of suitable metal, are returned to the shipper for credit. Thus instead of returning a full-size container, which is usually 40' a steel can approximately two to three feet high and-fourteen inches in diameter and which takes up considerable space, only the caps, occupying a relatively small space, need be returned, thereby saving greatly on the express or freight on 45t1 these returned parts.

, In order to promote the sale of the merchandise within the container, I have provided a plain glass top to take the place of the metal shipping top, so that when the container with 601' the goods is received at a store, the metal top may be unlocked and removed from the'container, and the glass top placed over the top of the container, thereby allowing the buyers of the merchandise to see what is in the container. As

65'? the 'goods are sold out of the container, which is made, say of corrugated paper, a sharp tool or knife may be passed around the wall of the container and the empty part of the container cut off and the glass top replaced, thus keeping the goods within the container in close proximity I with the top, whereby the goods may always be seen by the buyers. If desired, the container may be constructed so as to facilitate this cutting operation.

After all the goods have been sold out of the 10 container, what is left of it is thrown away, first unlocking the bottom cap therefrom to be returned to the factory or source of supply with the next shipment of caps. By this process, through which the merchandisein the container 15 is always in a displayed position, the sale of the merchandise is greatly promoted. Furthermore, by the arrangement of having the caps locked securely in position and sealed, aswill be explained, the merchant or store-keeper is assured that he is getting all that the shipper has sent to him; that isto say, with this type of container it is not an easy matter to pilfer the merchandise from the container while enroute, and above all, this process of handling or shipping the goods and merchandising {them provides a maximum degree of cleanliness.

The means for carrying out my process is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a plan view looking down on the top of one of the closure caps for the container, a part of the outer portion of the cap being broken away to show certain of the interior parts.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the (0 container on the line 4- l of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a partial view on an enlarged scale on the line 55 of Figure 1, showing the slidable locking members in the locking position which they would have when locked in position on the container.

Figure 6 is a view on the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a view of the bottom part of the cap shown in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a view of the glass cap which may be substituted in the sales store for the metal shipping caps shown in Figure 4.

In the various views, I is a container made of some cheap, satisfactory material suitable for the purpose, such as corrugated paper. The 66 flange 5, the flanges 4 and 5 being spaced apart to provide room to receive the edge or end of the container I as illustrated in Figure 4, from which it will be seen that the plate 3 is of less diameter than the plate 2, and that the flanges t and 5 extend in opposite directions when the plates 2 and 3 are in assembled position. The plates 2 and 3 are held together in any satisfactory manner as by means of spacers 3 and rivets I.

Preferably the plate 2 has the metal indented so that the head 8 of the rivet l is flush with the surface of the plate as more clearly shown in Figure 6. The inner ends of the rivets l are fastened in any satisfactory manner to the plate 3 as by rivet heads 9. In place of the spacers 6 and rivets T, single-piece studs spot-welded to the plates 2 and 3 may be used, or some other equivalent construction.

Positioned on the plate 3 are a plurality of slidable members H! which have pointed ends II that are in alignment with openings l2 in the flange 5. The slidable members iii may be held in position on the plate 3 invarious ways. For example, in Figure 1 I have shown three different constructions. In one type of construction shown in Figures 1 and 4, lugs l3 and M are thrown upwardly from the plate 3 at a point adjacent the flange 5, and a further lug may be pushed out of the plate 3 to provide a rear guideway for the slidable member 10. The slidable member II] is provided with a lug I6 and the guideway I5 is provided with a lug l1, and to these two lugs l6 and H is attached a spring [8 which is for the purpose of normally holding the slidable member ill in unlocked position as shown in the top part of Figure 4.

Another method of mounting the slidable member I0 is illustrated in Figure 2 and its associated view of Figure 1. In this construction, a long guideway i9 is forced out of the plate 3, the forward end of the guideway being notched at to provide a space for the luglfi on the slidable member ll! to travel therein. A lug H is thrown upwardly from the rear end of the guideway I9, and between the said lugs the same spring [8 is positioned for the use already described;

In Figure 3, a small guideplate 2! is fastened in any satisfactory manner as by screws or rivets or spot-welding at 22 to the plate 3. The guideplate 2! has a guideway 23 formed therein to receive the slidable member 53. With this type of construction no holes are punched in the plate 3, so that the slidable members are completely sealed off atthese points from the inner part of the container. This construction has some'advantages over the other two as it prevents the slidable members and associated parts from corrosion due to the air which comes from the food products; for example, salty air will come from pretzels that will tend to attack these parts,

I particularly if they are not covered with a suitable covering before the cap is put in position.

Where either one of the first two constructions heretofore described is used, I may use a plate 36 over the inner surface of the plate 3 (see Figure 5) to cover the openings made by punching up the lugs or guideways for the members I3.

Carried between the plates 2 and 3 is a cam 24'having cam surfaces 25 corresponding. in number to the number of slidable members It]. A

..portion 26 of the cam is positioned in an opening 27 in the outer cover 2 and preferably extends therethrough and has a hexagonal head to which may be applied a suitable tool for turning the cam. When the cam 24 is turned from its unlocked position as shown in Figure 1 so the cam surfaces 25 force the ends of the slidable members l0 outwardly, the pointed ends ii thereof are pushed through the openings 12 in the flange 5 and are caused to perforate or penetrate into the wall of the container as shown in the bottom cap in Figure 4, thereby locking the cap securely in position on the container.

To prevent overriding the cam surface 25, the cam is provided with a stop 23 which may engage a suitable cooperating stop on the plate 3. As illustrated, the ends of the slidable members ill may be used for these stops, the surface 29 acting as a stop for the cam when the same is moved to locking position, while the surface 30 is used as a stop for the cam when it is in unlocked position.

The outer cover 2 is provided with a central indentation 3! which has a lug 32 formed thereon. The amount of the indentation 3! is such that the end 23 of the cam projecting through the orifice 27 is below the plane of the surface of the outer plate 2, so the outer end of the cap is substantially smooth, sothat the container may be slid around on the surface of this cap whether it be the bottom or the top one.

The projecting end 26 of the cam is provided with a hole 33 through which a wire may be passed through the lug 32 and a seal applied in the usual way, thereby fastening the cam in looking position and preventing tampering with 'the contents of the container after it has once been packed and sealed.

After the container and its contents has been received by the merchandiser or store, one of the caps is removed by breaking the seal and moving the cam to unlock the cap. Then in order to display the goods to the buyer, a glass cap 34 having a flange 35 is placed over the end of the container I. As the goods are used up in the container l, a sharp tool such as a knife may be used to cut down the container to a point just above the goods therein; for example, along the broken line 31, and the cap 34 replaced. Thus the goods are always relatively close to the glass cap 34, whereby they may be readily viewed by the buyers.

After the contents of the container have been all used up, the bottom cap is unlocked and removed and the cap returned with the other caps to the shipper of the merchandise. As has heretofore been pointed out, these caps take up a very small space and a considerable number of them can be shipped for the same cost as one of the prior art metal containers heretofore used.

By the means and process of handling and displaying the food products as has been described, I have attained the objects of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. Means for the handling of food products comprising a'container of fibrous material having end closures, at least one of which is removable, said end closure including two plates of different diameter and each having a peripheral flange, the plates being fastened together in spaced relation and positioned so the flanges extend in opposite directions with a space between said flanges, said space being such as to receive the end of the container, a single mechanism for fastening said end enclosure tothe container comprising locking members carried by the plate of smaller diameter, and means for moving said locking members to engage said container end located between said flanges by puncturing the walls of the container.

2. Means for the handling of food products comprising a container having end closures, at least one of which is removable, said end closure including two plates of different diameter and each'having a peripheral flange, the platesbeing fastened together in spaced relation and positioned so the flanges extend in opposite directions with a space between said flanges, said space being such as to receive the end of the container, a single mechanism for fastening said end enclosure to the container comprising slidable pointed members carried by the plate of smaller diameter, and a cam positionedbetween said plates with means extending through the plate of larger diameter for operating the cam to move said slidable members into engagement with said container end located between said flanges.

3. Means for the handling of food products comprising a non-metallic container having end closures, at least one of which is removable, said end closure including two plates, an inner one and an outer one, and each having a peripheral flange, the inner plate being mounted so its flange is spaced from the flange of the outer plate, leaving a space to receive the end of the container, 2. single mechanism for fastening said end enclosure to the container comprising locking members carried by one of said plates and means for moving said locking members to engage said container end located between said flanges.

4. Means for the handling of food products comprising a container as set forth in claim 3,

further defined in that the locking members are carried on the inner plate. i

5. Means for the handling of food products comprising a container as set forth in claim 3, further defined in that the flange of the inner plate extends toward the outer plate and has openings therein, said inner plate having slidable members positioned in alignment with said openings, and further characterized in that a cam member is positioned between the two plates with a part projecting through the outer plate for operating the cam to force said slidable members through said flange openings into engagement with the end -of the container located between said flanges.

- 6. Means for the handling of food products comprising a container as set forth in claim 3, further defined in that the flange of the inner plate extends toward the outer plate and has openings therein, said inner plate having slidable pointed members positioned in alignment with said openings, and further characterized in that the container is of puncturable material such as corrugated paper, and further defined in that a cam member is positioned between the two plates with means adapted to be operated from the exterior of said outer plate to move the cam to force said slidable pointed member so the points thereof extending through said flange openings become imbedded in the material of the container located between said flanges.

7. Means for the handling of food products comprising a container having end closures, at least one of which is removable, said end closure including two plates of different diameter and each having a peripheral flange, the plates being fastened together in spaced relation and positioned so the flanges extend in opposite directions with a space between said flanges, said space being such as to receive the end of the container, slidable pointed members carried by the plate of smaller diameter, and a cam positioned between said plates with means extending, through the plate of larger diameter for operating thecam to move said slidable members into engagement with said container end located between said flanges, and means for fastening said cam in container-locking position.

8. Means for the handling of food products comprising a container having end closures, at least one of which is removable, said end closure including two plates of different diameter and each having a peripheral flange, the plates being fastened together in spaced relation and positioned so the flanges extend in opposite directions with a space between said flanges, said space being such as to receive the end of the container, slidable pointed members carried by the plate of smaller diameter, and a cam positioned between said plates with means extending through the plate of larger diameter for operating the cam to move said slidable members into enl gagement with said container end located between said flanges, means for positively stopping said cam in locking'position, and further means for fastening the cam in locking position.

9. Means for handling of food products comprising a paper container having similar top and bottom closure caps which are adapted to be locked in position by a single mechanism when the container carries food products but which are adapted to be readily removed from the container for the purpose described, said cap carrying said mechanism comprising inner and outer plates having spaced flanges to fit over the ends of the container, the flange of the inner plate having openings therein, said plates carrying between them a plurality of pointed members located in alignment with said flange openings, and means located below the plane of the top of the outer plate but operable from the exterior of the outer means, and means for fastening said operable means in the position where the said pointed members are in engagement with the container.

11. For a container as described, a closure cap including a pair of spaced plates each having a peripheral flange extending in opposite directions and positioned one within the other so a space for the wall of the container is left between said flanges, the flange of said inner plate having openings therein, a plurality of slidable members carried by the inner plate in alignment with said openings, and means carried between the two plates with manual means located below the plane of the top of the outer plate but operable from the exterior of the outer plate for simultaneously moving all of said slidable members so their ends extend through said openings for the purpose described. i

12. For a container as described, a closure cap including a pair of spaced plates each having a peripheral flange extending in opposite directions and positioned one within the other so a space for the wall of the container is left between said flanges, the flange of said inner plate having openings therein, a plurality of slidable members carried by the inner plate in alignment with said openings and a rotatable cam member carried between said plates with a part positioned in an opening in the outer plate for operating the cam, said cam acting to simultaneously move all of said slidable members so their ends extend through said openings for the purpose described.

13. A closure cap as set forth in claim 12, further characterized in that the cam has a projection adapted to engage the stops such as said slidable members to limit the movement of the cam in either direction of rotation, and means for withdrawing said slidable means from looking position on movement of the cam to such position.

14. A closure cap as set forth in claim 12, further characterized in that means are provided for fastening the cam in looking position.

15. The process of handling food products which consists in placing said products in a container of the character described, sealing said container by caps which can be locked fast to the wall of the container, transporting said sealed container to its destination, then removing said cap or caps and the food products, throwing away the container and returning the caps to the original packer of the food products.

16. The process of handling food products which consists in placing said products in a container of the character described, sealing said container by caps which can be locked fast to the wall of the container, transporting said sealed container to its destination, then removing the top cap and replacing it with a suitable glass cap whereby the food products in the container may be seen through the cap, cutting down the height of the container as the food products are taken out of the container and finally removing the bottom 5 cap and throwing away the balance of the container.

17. The process of handling food products which consists in placing said products in a container of the character described, sealing said container by caps which can be locked fast to the wall of the container, transporting said sealed container to its destination, then removing the top cap of the container used in transportation for return to the shipper, and replacing this cap with a clear glass cap whereby the contents of the container can be viewed through the cap.

18. Means for the handling of food products including a container of puncturable material having end closures, at least one of which is removable and is provided with a pair of radially spaced flanges to encompass the top of the container, the inner of said flanges having openings therein, said closure being held at all times when in closure position on the container by means 25..

entirely within the confines of the cover, said means comprising a cam having operating means extending without the cover but positioned below the plane of the top of the cover, movable members having relatively sharp ends in alignment with said flange openings and positioned to be operated by said cam so said movable members may be forced through said flanged openings and become imbedded in the wall of the container be- EDWARD A. WEISEL. 

